Multilocations

MooseFS 5 introduces Multilocations – a feature that lets you divide a cluster into logical segments corresponding to the physical locations of your machines. Locations can represent different racks, rooms, buildings, or geographically distant sites such as different cities or data centers.

info

The use of Multilocations is not mandatory. You can upgrade to MooseFS 5 and continue operating exactly as before; the system will simply run with one invisible location. Activating Multilocations is a deliberate step taken after upgrading.

This section of the documentation covers:

• Overview – concepts, key benefits, and the default location
• Use Cases – primary and secondary data centers, geographically distributed clusters, DR backups, and content distribution
• Management Tools – mfslocadmin, mfsscadmin, CLI/GUI integration, and mfsfileinfo
• Setting Up Multilocations – step-by-step setup for a new instance with examples
• Converting an Existing Instance – how to migrate a label-based setup to Multilocations
• Tips and Tricks – label scoping, zero expressions, and advanced storage class patterns
• Technical Details – the leader selection algorithm